Daoism stressed the oneness of all things, and was strictly individualistic, as opposed to Confucianism, which advocated acting as society expected. It is still practice today. Although Confucianism and Daoism are the Chinese philosophies that have endured most to this day, even more important to this early period was a lesser-known philosophy called Legalism. This held that humans are inherently bad and need to be kept in line by a strong state.
According to Legalism, the state was far more important than the individual. While Legalism held that laws should be clear and public and that everyone should be subject to them, it also contended that rulers had supreme power and must use stealth and secrecy to remain in power. Legalists also believed that society must strive to dominate other societies. Legalists could be divided into three types. The first was concerned with shi , or the investment of the position of ruler with power rather than the person and the necessity of obtaining facts to rule well.
The second was concerned with fa , or laws, regulations, and standards. This meant all were equal under the ruler, and the state was run by law, not a ruler. The third was the concept of shu , or tactics to keep the state safe. Legalism was generally in competition with Confucianism, which advocated a just and reciprocal relationship between the state and its subjects.
Mohism Mohism emerged around the same time as the other philosophies discussed here, under the philosopher Mozi c. This opposed the ideas of Confucianism, which said that love should be greater for close relationships. Mohism also stressed the ideas of self-restraint, reflection and authenticity. Depiction of Mozi: The Chinese philosopher who began Mohism is shown here.
Mohism also stated that all people should be equal in their material benefit and in their protection from harm. Society could be improved by having it function like an organism, with a uniform moral compass.
Those who were qualified should receive jobs, and thus the ruler would be surrounded by people of talent and skill. An unrighteous ruler would result in seven disasters for the state, including neglect of military defense, repression, illusions about strength, distrust, famine, and more.
Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Early Chinese Dynasties. Search for:. The Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou created the Mandate of Heaven: the idea that there could be only one legitimate ruler of China at a time, and that this ruler had the blessing of the gods.
They used this Mandate to justify their overthrow of the Shang, and their subsequent rule. Some scholars think the earlier Xia Dynasty never existed—that it was invented by the Zhou to support their claim under the Mandate that there had always been only one ruler of China. Key Terms Battle of Muye : The battle that resulted with the Zhou, a subject people living in the western part of the kingdom, overthrew the Shang Dynasty. Mandate of Heaven : The Chinese philosophical concept of the circumstances under which a ruler is allowed to rule.
Good rulers were allowed to rule under the Mandate of Heaven, while despotic, unjust rulers had the Mandate revoked. Learning Objectives Describe the main accomplishments of the Western Zhou period. Under the feudal system, the monarchy would reward loyal nobles with large pieces of land. Over time, the king grew weaker, and the lords of the feudal system grew stronger, until finally, in BCE, one lord joined forces with an invading group of barbarians and killed the king.
Defining characteristics include direct ownership of resources, personal loyalty, and a hierarchical social structure reinforced by religion. Duke of Zhou : A regent to the king who established the feudal system, and held a lot of power during the Western Zhou period. Learning Objectives Identify some of the art forms prevelant under the Zhou Dynasty. Few paintings have survived from this period, but we know that they were representations of the real world.
The production of lacquerware expanded during this period. Key Terms lacquer : A natural varnish, originating in China or Japan, and extracted from the sap of a sumac tree. Learning Objectives Explain the main political and military developments during the Eastern Zhou period. Key Takeaways Key Points During the first part of the Eastern Zhou period, called the Spring and Autumn period, the king became less powerful and the regional feudal became lords more so, until only seven consolidated powerful feudal states were left.
During the second part of the period, called the Warring States period, strong states vied for power until the Qin conquered them all and created a unified dynasty. Developments during the period included increasing use of infantry, a trend toward bureaucracy and large-scale projects, the use of iron over bronze, and intellectual and philosophical developments.
Hegemony : Domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a society or by one nation over others. Learning Objectives Demonstrate understanding of the main characteristics of the Warring States period. During this time, the seven states remaining from the Spring and Autumn period intensely and unrelentingly battled each other for total power. It was during this period that the Iron Age spread in China, leading to stronger tools and weapons made from iron instead of bronze.
This period also saw the further development of Confucianism by Mencius , Daoism, Legalism, and Mohism. By this time, two key Chinese social characteristics had solidified: l the concept of the patrilineal family as the basic unit of society, and 2 the concept of natural social differentiation into classes.
Iron replaced the use of bronze, sophisticated math came into use, and large-scale projects were undertaken. Key Terms crossbow : A mechanised weapon, based on the bow and arrow, that fires bolts; it was invented during the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty, when its low cost and ease of use made it a preferable weapon to the chariot.
Key Takeaways Key Points Confucius stressed tradition and believed that an individual should strive to be virtuous and respectful, and to fit into his or her place in society. Lao-tzu was the legendary founder of Daoism, recorded in the form of the book the Tao Te Ching.
If a king ruled unfairly he could lose this approval, which would result in his downfall. Overthrow, natural disasters, and famine were taken as a sign that the ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven did not require a ruler to be of noble birth, and had no time limitations.
Instead, rulers were expected to be good and just in order to keep the Mandate. The Zhou claimed that their rule was justified by the Mandate of Heaven. In other words, the Zhou believed that the Shang kings had become immoral with their excessive drinking, luxuriant living, and cruelty, and so had lost their mandate. The need for the Zhou to create a history of a unified China is also why some scholars think the Xia Dynasty may have been an invention of the Zhou. The Zhou needed to erase the various small states of prehistoric China from history, and replace them with the monocratic Xia Dynasty in order for their Mandate of Heaven to seem valid i.
In the European model, God granted a particular family the right to rule a country for all time, regardless of the rulers' behavior. The Divine Right was an assertion that God essentially forbade rebellions, as it was a sin to oppose the king. In contrast, the Mandate of Heaven justified rebellion against an unjust, tyrannical, or incompetent ruler.
If a rebellion was successful in overthrowing the emperor, then it was a sign that he had lost the Mandate of Heaven and the rebel leader had gained it. In addition, unlike the hereditary Divine Right of Kings, the Mandate of Heaven did not depend upon royal or even noble birth. Any successful rebel leader could become emperor with Heaven's approval, even if he was born a peasant. Zhou leaders claimed that the Shang emperors had become corrupt and unfit, so Heaven demanded their removal.
When Zhou authority crumbled in turn, there was no strong opposition leader to seize control, so China descended into the Warring States Period c. It was reunified and expanded by Qin Shihuangdi, beginning in , but his descendants quickly lost the Mandate. The Qin Dynasty ended in B. This cycle continued through the history of China.
In , the Ming Dynasty lost the Mandate and was overthrown by Li Zicheng's rebel forces. A shepherd by trade, Li Zicheng ruled for just two years before he was in turn ousted by the Manchus, who founded the Qing Dynasty This was China's final imperial dynasty. The concept of the Mandate of Heaven had several important effects on China and on other countries, such as Korea and Annam northern Vietnam , that were within the sphere of China's cultural influence.
Fear of losing the Mandate prompted rulers to act responsibly in carrying out their duties towards their subjects. The Mandate also allowed for incredible social mobility for a handful of peasant rebellion leaders who became emperors.
Finally, it gave the people a reasonable explanation and a scapegoat for otherwise inexplicable events, such as droughts, floods, famines, earthquakes, and disease epidemics. This last effect may have been the most important of all. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.
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